Dixie Flatline

2nd of September 2003<P>David Álvarez is picked for the Spanish U-21 side’s 1-1 draw with Norway. Ironically, Norway’s equaliser is scored by transfer target Per Vener Rønning through a penalty.<P>3rd of September 2003<P>Iulian Filipescu couldn’t stop why Romania from losing 3-2 to Germany in Bucharest as not even Viorel Moldovan’s late goal could stop Romania dropping another three points. In fact, Romania threw away a 1-0 lead at half-time as Oliver Neuville and Fredi Bobic scored the goals. Holland defeated Russia 3-1 in Amsterdam, leaving Russia and Slovenia to slug it out for the runners-up spot in Group 2 in a month’s time after Slovenia thrashed San Marino 4-0 in Ljubljana.<P>4th of September 2003<P>Good news as Ghanaian international full-back Stephen Tetteh rejects the terms offered by four other clubs, including Portuguese club Salgueiros, to agree terms with us. He joins just before Christmas 2003. I’m fairly excited about this deal because he is a strong, powerful defender with the ability to dive into the tackle and also distribute the ball well out of defence. Moving to Cartagonova should allow him to add to his collection of 9 international caps for Ghana.<P>5th of September 2003<P>I’m informed by the Spanish FA that we will travel to Toledo to play the town’s side for a spot in the second round of the Copa del Rey. But that’s a fair way off and to tell you the truth, I don’t think a good run in the cup is great for the club’s focus on Primera Liga survival. But it at least gets the fans going and playing a D2B club, we should at least move into the second round.<P>[B10th of September 2003[/b]<P>Yves Baré is a man that many clubs would like to poach as a scout. The latest is Mallorca who wants to tempt the Belgian to scout for the resort club. I, of course, don’t really care about the £80,000 compensation we would be due if he does agree terms with Mallorca, but I guess the increase in the player wages must carry over to my back-room staff. I only wish it could carry over to me, because as far as I know, I’m not really being compensated for all my hard work! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] Anyhoo, I offer him a new contract with an improved wage packet (by about £400/week) in order to appeal to his loyalty to the man who gave him a start in this business.<P>12th of September 2003<P>Just two days before our next match with Real Vallodolid, I lose Fernando Morán to a strained neck for up to a fortnight. On the up-side, that allows me to pencil in Pablo Miranda’s name for a debut against Vallodolid at home next Sunday.

Dixie Flatline

13th of September 2003<P>Yves Baré, back in town for a moment or two while on his European scouting mission, signs on the dotted line on an improved contract. Mallorca’s interest suddenly goes away, just like that.<P>14th of September 2003<P>Primera Liga - Game 2: Cartagonova v Real Vallodolid<P>Three weeks after our first match in the Primera Liga, we finally get back onto the park. With Morán out of the side, the home crowd gets their first look at new boy Miranda. And the Argentine is instrumental in creating the first goal for Redondo after just five minutes. His cross is powered into the net by the striker and I’m ecstatic, as is the majority of the crowd! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] Things become even rosier when danger man Christian Colusso is forced off the field after 11 minutes. Even the referee takes our side when he rules out Bodipo’s equaliser on 23 minutes for off-side against the Vallodolid striker. We then play havoc with the Vallodolid defence but we cannot convert the opportunities before the break.<P>Into the second half after an encouraging team talk at the break, my players continue to create the chances but my strikers cannot convert them. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] That is until Couto launches a long ball into the box where Rufete surges into the box to head home the Portuguese’s pass! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] He almost repeats the trick a minute later when he can only shoot Redondo’s pass into the hands of César. But when Lacruz and Michel combine to set up the winger on 73 minutes, he doesn’t miss the third time! We’re toying with our opponents now, the crowd completely on our side. But we lose our concentration in the final minute of play and Bodipo catches us out.<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Filipescu, Álvarez, Balleteros; Michel, Couto (c), Rufete; Miranda; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Real Vallodolid (4-1-2-1-2): César; Marcos, Garcia Calvo, Peña (c), Ibarra; Gómez (Vicente 55); Zapata (Doriva 91), Sales; Colusso (Ciric 11); Guerrero, Bodipo.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 3:1 Real Vallodolid
MoM - Rufete<P>The victory moves us into second place, behind Real Zaragoza on goal difference. Rufete is named in the starting eleven for the team of the week, while Lacruz and Filipescu make the bench.

Dixie Flatline

21st of September 2003<P>Primera Liga - Game 3: Extremadura v Cartagonova<P>After a relatively quiet week where we concentrated on training and ensuring that all our ploys work to perfection, we travel to Almendralejo to play perennial rival Extremadura. In two previous seasons’ worth of games, nothing had separated us, but I think we’ve done better in the transfer department. Redondo almost sets us on our way when he jumps high to meet Collymore’s cross, but Mata does enough to put him off. Then on 25 minutes, José Lacruz needs to come off the pitch complaining about an injury. I set the physios to work upon him, while Ismael makes his way across to the left-back position. But when Morán, back in the side after missing last week with injury, feeds Redondo, the skilful striker skips past the challenge of Luis López and fires the shot past Ronny Gaspercic on 27 minutes! Right before half time, the same combination works again with Morán nutmegging Mild and Etcheverry before crossing into the box. Gaspercic is slow to come out off his line and Redondo smashes the header past the Belgian keeper! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] It’s a brilliant way to end the half, and I tell the players that they’re doing remarkably well.<P>Extremadura’s players have been fired up at the break and they come out breathing fire in the second half. When Iván sidles his way past Couto and centres the ball for Lobo, the striker drives a rasping shot past Vidal and our lead is slashed to 2-1. Collymore hasn’t yet scored in the Primera Liga, but he almost does on 60 minutes when Morán feeds him only to see Gaspercic turn his shot away athletically. We control the rest of the play, not letting Extremadura have another sighter of Vidal’s goal and even Couto has a shot saved deep into the match!<P>Our perfect start is preserved and next weekend we host Barcelona! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]<P>Extremadura (5-3-2): Gaspercic; Berges, Mata, López (c), Sanz, Zandoná; Etcheverry (Francisco 63), Iván, Mild; Lobo, Karanka.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz (Ismael 25), Filipescu, Álvarez, Ballesteros; Couto (c); Michel, Rufete; Morán; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Extremadura 1:2 Cartagonova
MoM - José Manuel Redondo<P>Redondo is on the team of the week’s bench after his great effort in defeating Extremadura.

Dixie Flatline

26th of September 2003<P>Another quiet week on the training track in preparation for our huge weekend match with Barcelona is illuminated as we sign up exciting Spanish U-21 international midfielder Francisco Álvarez for three years. I think he has come along pretty well since he was invited to train with the first team at the start of the season and that he deserves the contract.<P>28th of September 2003<P>“… We hope you’ve marked today’s date down in the calendar, fans of Cartagonova, for today your team takes on Barcelona, the biggest club in all of Spain. The surprise leader of the Primera Liga has the opportunity to cause the biggest upset in many a long year in front of their fanatical supporter base at the Estadio Municipal de Cartagena which shall be full to overflowing. It seems remarkable that Señor Flatline has pulled together a mish-mash of young players and players rejected by other clubs and moulded them into a team that seems capable of taking on anybody in the division. But today will by far be their biggest test and it’s one that even Señor Flatline is not confident they will pass. After all, Barcelona has talent in every position and in Patrick Kluivert, the club has the best striker in the world.”<P>“We have just been handed the teamsheets by the two managers and I think that Señor Lorenzo Serra Ferrer has sprung a surprise this afternoon with Kluivert being forced to play up-front by himself and he has left Rivaldo on the bench in favour of his young compatriot Thiago Motta who is given his first team debut today. In fact, Barcelona seems to adopt a very defensive formation with a flat-back four, three defensive midfielder strung across their defensive third, and two attacking midfielders, Luis Enrique and Motta, supporting Kluivert. On the other hand, Señor Flatline has decided to remain with his tried and true formation…”<P>Except that I change the tactics slightly. We don’t normally play the off-side trap but with Kluivert needing to work by himself, I think that he will be itching to play off the shoulder of our defender and hope to bring in Enrique and Motta into the play. I want to counter that by pushing my defenders as far forward as possible so that it makes it more difficult to get in behind the defence and attack Vidal. And it works. on 16 minutes, Enrique passes the ball into the area for Kluivert but the whistle goes and while the Dutch international completes the formality of putting the ball into the net it is immediately ruled out for off-side.<P>Filipescu’s free kick is picked up by Collymore and the Englishman moves forward looking for options. He finds his strike partner Redondo lurking with intent and the strong forward keeps a hold of the ball waiting for the cavalry to arrive. It comes in the unlikely form of Couto, making huge strides from midfield, and after 17 minutes into the fourth match of the season, he has his first goal ever for the club! And what a time to score it, against Barcelona! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] It doesn’t need Serra Ferrer to jump up and down on the touch-line for Barcelona’s players to figure out they should attack us. And we’re under the pump for a while, but thankfully inaccurate finishing from Kluivert preserves our lead and when Morán finds himself in space, his shot strikes the post. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] It seems to be Kluivert against the world as the Dutchman is doing fantastically to fashion for himself chances, but with four defenders constantly milling around him, not even he can find the time to strike accurately and we reach the break with our lead intact.

Dixie Flatline

A quick, buoyant team talk is followed by Couto having a few words and then we leave the players to themselves to think about the potential glory that may await at the end of the next 45 minutes. The officials call us out for the start of the second half and I can see a tense Serra Ferrer having a few last minute words of encouragement for his team. Personally, I think he should change formation, but I’m not about to give free advice to my opponent! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] But when Ballesteros dispossesses Motta only to see the ball roll to the feet of Gerard and the midfielder sets up Enrique just five minutes into the second half, I think our lead has disappeared. Yet, we’re saved by the linesman’s flag! I could kiss him! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG]<P>I watch the clock tick slowly through every minute anxiously as Barcelona continues to pile on the pressure on Vidal, who is doing a sterling job. Filipescu is doing his best to protect the young keeper, but the attacks keep coming from all directions. But Barcelona can’t crack our resistance and when we sling together that one perfect move that puts the ball at the feet of Collymore, his trademark rocket launches into the back of Dutruel’s net and we’re suddenly 2-0 to the good with just 13 minutes to play! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif" alt="cool[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif" alt="eek[/IMG] Barcelona continues to throw everything at us, but to no avail and the crowd is singing the name of every player on our side at the end of the 90 minutes!<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Ismael, Filipescu, Álvarez, Ballesteros; Michel, Couto (c), Rufete; Morán; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Barcelona (5-3-2-1): Dutruel; Sergi, De Boer, Paz, Thuram; Xavi, Guardiola (c), Gerard (Rivaldo 80); Enrique, Motta (Dani 75); Kluivert.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 2:0 Barcelona
MoM - Iván Vidal

Dixie Flatline

But Real Madrid’s massive 5-1 victory over Elche at the Bernabau stadium pushes it to the top of the ladder after the fourth game of the season on goal difference from us. We are the only two clubs to have taken maximum points from all four games so far.<P>As you might imagine, Vidal makes it to the select team of the week. It was a performance that must surely draw the attention of bigger clubs (like Barcelona, I suppose) and also the national boss. I’m extremely happy with what I consider to be our best performance of the season, although we did enjoy a large slice of luck. I congratulate each player personally on their individual contribution to a great team effort, but Vidal, Couto, Redondo and Collymore are especially congratulated for their efforts. Surprisingly, the board considers itself pleased with the result. Obviously I’m imposing too much of a high standard on myself! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]<P>Here is the ladder after 4 matches in the season:<P><P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

pooscalery

What a start in the Primera [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif" alt="eek[/IMG] <P>2-0 against Barca too!<P>Keep it up Dixie, both the form and story [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]

Tricky Winger

Wow, great start!<P>Actually, I'm not that surprised, I really liked some of your summer pick-ups, e.g. Rufete and Esnaider.<P>I can see you're promising that this thread will be the last one for a while. I hope that doesn't mean you will leave Cartagena after this season?. Many fans, including me, would be disappointed.<P>And thanx for crediting me for the team run-downs, but I'd like to point out I took the idea from Okkas myself.

Dixie Flatline

Thanks to one and all!<P>Yes, thank you all indeed-y for your words of high praise. I bow my head in modesty! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="wink[/IMG] Hopefully we can keep it up, but speaking realistically, we've surprised a few and once they've worked us out, we'll slip up.<P>Also, thanks Tricky Winger for putting me on the right track. I tip my hat to Okkas for his good idea. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]<P>Cheers,<P>Dixie

Dixie Flatline

The fall-out from Barcelona's defeat at the hands of Cartagonova<P>“... Cartagonova continues to defy the odds. Everybody marvelled as the little club from the south of Spain recorded three straight victories to kick off its Primera Liga campaign. But when the fixture list brought the giant Barcelona to the Estadio Municipal de Cartagena, all the experts and pundits agreed that the run would finish here for Señor Flatline and his brave players. But to everybody’s amazement and the home crowd’s delight, Cartagonova’s players defied the odds and notched up the biggest scalp in its short time in the top flight. Barcelona’s strangely negative tactics and poor finishing denied it the opportunity to really challenge Cartagonova’s defenders, but credit where credit is due, as Iván Vidal turned in a virtuoso performance to stop Barcelona pegging back Cartagonova’s lead. When the referee finally blew his whistle, Señor Flatline was obviously the most happy man on the pitch, congratulating each player individually as one of the most memorable matches in the history of the Primera Liga was laid to rest in the history books.”